Explosion detection and quick response containment system

ABSTRACT

A high speed solenoid door latch release mechanism operated electro-mechanically. It is coupled with a bomb blast sensing device which would detect a blast and latch release the door of a room fast enough to contain the blast within that room. Baffles in the ceiling, walls, or floor of the room would be adapted to carry away the excess pressure to safety, and because of the high speed release of the reinforced doors, persons and property outside the immediate blast zone could be protected from the negative effects of the explosion.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Pursuant to 35 U.S.C. §119, this application claims the benefit of the filing date of Provisional Application No. 60/674885 which had a filing date of Apr. 26, 2005 and that provisional application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

This invention was not made using Federally Sponsored Research or Development. The inventor retains all rights.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Terrorism has changed the way we all live in many profound ways. Bombing is a very common and dangerous form of terrorism which has prompted a high level of security in many of our day to day activities, particularly in the area of airline security. Hijacking of airliners, too, has had its effect on the way we lead our lives. Reinforced cockpit doors are being invented for airliners which have the ability to resist high impact and yet will sense an explosive decompression event and open to permit pressure equalization (See e.g. Pittman Pub. No. US 2003/0052227 A1 for Protective Shield for Aircraft Cockpit Crew). The global market is hungry for safety devices which can minimize loss of life caused by bombing events.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention discloses a high speed solenoid door latching mechanism operated electro mechanically. It is coupled with a pressure sensing device which would detect a bomb blast and release a door latched open thus allowing the door of a room to be forced closed fast enough to contain a blast within that room. Baffles in the ceiling or floor of the room would be adapted to carry away the excess pressure to safety and because of the high speed locking of the reinforced doors, persons outside the immediate blast zone could be protected from the negative effects of the explosion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view of a room equipped with the Quick Response Containment System.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart diagram of the main invention components.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This invention features a system that can be used to detect and contain bomb blasts within an enclosure such as a room and safely channel the excess pressure away with minimized damage to persons and property. Referring to FIG. 1, the invention comprises an enclosure (1) such as a room which has a door (2) capable of withstanding a bomb blast. The particular point of invention is that the door has a latching mechanism (3) capable of quickly releasing an open door in the event of a bomb blast allowing its immediate closure. Referring now to FIG. 2 the latching mechanism with its minimum component parts is shown as a flow chart. The actual latching mechanism is an electro-mechanical solenoid apparatus of a type already commercially known in other applications. When it receives the signal to close, it is capable of releasing the door in minute fractions of a second. The signal comes to the solenoid mechanism from a controller which is a simple electronic brain of a type also known to the art. The controller makes a decision to signal closure of the solenoid based on inputs to the controller from one or more sensors. In the simplest form of the invention a sensor such as a pressure sensor would detect a bomb blast within the enclosure and signal the controller. The controller would then signal the solenoid closure mechanism to release. Other sensors to detect loud noise (itself essentially pressure), or light, or other blast effects can be added or substituted since the point of the invention is not the specific sensor. The point of the invention is the counterintuitive realization that bomb blasts are not instantaneous, but travel at a finite rate outward from the blast center. Upon realizing this and its implications, an apparatus can be made using high speed electromechanical apparatus to react to the blast before its damage can extend beyond the reach of the system. While the blast may have seemed instantaneous to humans in the locality, the system notes the occurrence of the blast and locks the door of the enclosure before the shock wave can exit. Persons and property outside the enclosure are then protected.

The excess pressure resulting from the blast is channeled away from the enclosure by means of baffles (4) in the floor, ceiling, or walls of the enclosure. 

1. An explosion detection and containment system comprising: a door, a solenoid latch, a controller, and a sensor; said controller receiving an input from said sensor; said controller being adapted to activate said solenoid latch when said input is received by said controller; said solenoid latch being adapted to hold said door closed when said controller activates said solenoid latch.
 2. The explosion detection and containment system of claim 1 in which said door encloses a room.
 3. The explosion detection and containment system of claim 2 further comprising baffles adapted to channel to safety the energy of an explosion within said room.
 4. The explosion detection and containment system of claim 3 in which said sensor is a pressure sensor.
 5. The explosion detection and containment system of claim 3 in which said sensor is a noise sensor.
 6. The explosion detection and containment system of claim 3 in which said sensor is a light sensor.
 7. The explosion detection and containment system of claim 3 in which said sensor is a heat sensor.
 8. The explosion detection and containment system of claim 2 in which said sensor is a pressure sensor.
 9. The explosion detection and containment system of claim 2 in which said sensor is a noise sensor.
 10. The explosion detection and containment system of claim 2 in which said sensor is a light sensor.
 11. The explosion detection and containment system of claim 2 in which said sensor is a heat sensor.
 12. The explosion detection and containment system of claim 1 in which said sensor is a pressure sensor.
 13. The explosion detection and containment system of claim 1 in which said sensor is a noise sensor.
 14. The explosion detection and containment system of claim 1 in which said sensor is a light sensor.
 15. The explosion detection and containment system of claim 1 in which said sensor is a heat sensor. 